Weingart: The Man and the Machine. With Essays by Susan Knapp, Michael and Dorthea Hofmann. Karo Graphic Design & Publishing, 2014. Hardcover without a jacket as issued. Sewn binding and bookmark. Limited edition in English. Book is in new condition. 167 x 215 cm, 96 pp. 116 black and white plates. Book design by Susan Knapp. Professor of Typography Wolfgang Weingart was one of the reasons why many design students were drawn to study at the Basel School of Design. He lectured about the program all over the world and his posters became well-known throughout the design community. Between 1974 and 1996, Weingart also taught at the Yale Summer Program in Graphic Design in Brissago, Switzerland. Weingart’s work as both a designer and instructor played a decisive role in modern typography and design. This book, drawing together remembrances from over seventy-five former students and amply illustrated with photos and archival materials from Weingart’s years of teaching, documents the impact Weingart made on his student’s lives while exploring how he developed his teaching curriculum and his experimental approach to typography. For over 30 years, more than 420 students from 35 countries refined their skills at the Basel School of Design. Wolfgang Weingart’s work as professor of typography and visiting lecturer has not only strengthened his students as graphic designers, but has also played a decisive role in modern typography and design. This is the first book ever published from the perspective of Weingart’s students on his work and teaching. The collection of 77 statements is boldly illustrated with photos of Mr. Weingart and portraits of the individual students. Also, for the first time ever published, an essay by Dorothea Hofmann sheds light on how the Advanced Class (Weiterbildungsklasse für Grafik) came into being at the Basel School of Design. She explains how the establishment of the program in 1968 was preceded by nearly two decades of continuous refinement of the educational model developed by her husband, Armin Hofmann, with full support from Emil Ruder and the City of Basel’s Department of Education.
